Why a NO2AV will result in a Dead Parrot

I'm voting YES to AV because I know that the Alternative Vote as a stand alone electoral reform is Fairer than First Past The Post, (more of that later) but I make no secret of the fact that I would rather the Referendum was on a proportional voting system. But one thing I am completely sure of is that a NO to AV result will kill any possible chance of future voting reforms stone dead.
If NO to AV wins then David Cameron and the Tories will take this result as a resounding endorsement of First-Past-The-Post which favours both the Tory and Labour Party by channelling the votes of smaller parties, (this is why both parties have been in power since 1922).
Also history informs us that when it comes to how we elect our MPs Labour talks the talk but they don't walk the walk. In 1997 under Tony Blair's leadership Labour's manifesto promised:

"We are committed to a referendum on the voting system for the House of Commons. An independent commission on voting systems will be appointed early to recommend a proportional alternative to the first-past-the-post system." 

After 8 years in power Labour had failed to deliver the promised referendum on electoral reform and in the 2005 General Election Labour went on to win a majority government with just 35% of the national vote. It wasn't until the poll ratings suggested that Labour were set to lose the 2010 general election that Labour now under Gordon Brown's leadership added to their manifesto:

"To ensure that every MP is supported by the majority of their constituents voting at each election, we will hold a referendum on introducing the Alternative Vote for elections to the House of Commons."

Most people, (myself included) saw this for what it was a last ditch attempt by Labour to steal some Lib Dem votes and jump on the Clegg-mania  band wagon which had gripped the nation at the time. Do you remember Gordon Brown repeating "I agree with Nick" on the pre-election TV debates?

Now fast forward to the 2015 General Election after a NO to AV win in May. The election is to be fought using First-Past-The-Post and the Lib Dem vote has collapsed. Who wins? who knows but it can only be one of two possible winners Labour or Tory but one thing is certain the real losers will be the voters yet again who won't have got what they voted for and any hope of future voting reform will dead and buried for a generation at the very least. You see even if there was to be another hung parliament what chance is there of being another referendum on voting reform after a NO to AV result? None. Why because the politicians are only interested in what works best for them and not for us and they're never going to give you on PR after a NO to AV vote. 

First-Past-The-Post ensures that Labour and Tory in power all of the time - that's why Labour didn't deliver on voting reform they felt they didn't need to and in 2005 they didn't and by 2010 it was just too late.

The Electoral Reform Society has been lobbying for change for decades but how can you ever get it when the people who hold all the power don't want it and are actively blocking it? 

AV will lead to further voting reforms in the future I'm sure of it, (more of that later) but for now we HAVE to vote YES to AV or else any chance of voting reform in the future is dead and buried. As I said earlier I am convinced that when compared with Tin - Brass is better - it may not be Gold I grant you but history tells us that you cannot get Gold from Tin not when the people in power own all the shares in Tin.

Vote YES to AV on May 5th and the door to further electoral reform is ajar, (all be it on a chain) but if NO to AV wins the door is not only closed it's locked, bolted and the key thrown away. Replace the word "Parrot" for "Electoral Reform Society" into Monty Python's Dead parrot sketch with YOU the voter as the customer and Electoral Reform Society as the Shop Keeper and you've got the idea. ER won't just be be stunned it will be dead - stone dead 

'E's not pinin'! 'E's passed on! This parrot is no more! He has ceased to be! 'E's expired and gone to meet 'is maker! 'E's a stiff! Bereft of life, 'e

     rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed 'im to the perch 'e'd be pushing up the daisies! 'Is metabolic processes are now 'istory! 'E's off the twig! 'E's kicked the
     bucket, 'e's shuffled off 'is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisibile!! THIS IS AN EX-PARROT!!

Every vote will count on May 5th so don't abstain, (as there are a lot of vested interest groups who will be getting the NO vote out in their droves) - YOUR YES vote counts. Vote YES to AV - YES to CHANGE! or we will all be stuck with First-Past-The-Post for forever and a day and electoral reform is as dead as a parrot!

Was David Cameron the Tories 2nd choice?

On Friday 18th February David Cameron made his first No to AV speech in which he said of the Alternative Vote:

"It could mean a Parliament of second choices".

Now look at how David Cameron was elected leader of the Conservative Party in 2005 and the first thing you notice is that The Conservatives didn't use First-Past-The-Post for their elections instead they use a  process of elimination rounds - (a system remarkable in it's resemblance to AV) The first two rounds were for MPs to vote on and the final round was a postal ballot of Tory Party membership. In the first ballot of MPs David Davis won winning 6 votes more than Cameron. So given Cameron's "Parliament of second choices" quote doesn't that mean that at least amongst his own MPs David Cameron was their second choice and their first choice was David Davis.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/newsnight/michaelcrick/2010/02/how_av_made_cameron_tory_leade.html

Again on AV David Cameron says:

"Supporters of unpopular parties end up having their votes counted a number of times...

...potentially deciding the outcome of an election...

...while people who back more popular parties only get one vote."

So following this logic was it fair then that supporters of Kenneth Clarke (who won the fewest votes and was therefore eliminated after the first round) were able to vote again in the second round? 

Also why did the Conservatives feel the need to conduct their election over three elimination rounds of voting when they could have have just had one First-Past-The-Post ballot of membership with all four names on the ballot paper? Perhaps they wanted to ensure that the elected winner had the backing of the majority of voters and not just the largest minority.

So why is David Cameron No to AV and why doesn't the Tory Party use First-Past-The-Post for their elections? is it just a case of what is good enough for US to use is not good enough for THEM to use

Or perhaps David Cameron believes that under First-Past-The-Post the Tories will stand a much better chance of winning a majority in 2015 - after all thanks to First-Past-The-Post there were only 16,000 votes in it last time - http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article7120733.ece
Chilling!
Yet another good reason for us all to vote YES to Fairer Votes on Thursday May 5th

Look whose stealing UKIP votes

Congratulations to Nigel Farage and Jane Collins - UKIP's astounding performance last night in Barnsley Central -  showed they are truly a force to be reckoned with by more than doubling their share of the vote from 4.7% in May 6th 2010 to 12.2% and moving from 5th postion to 2nd position.
Of course Barnsley Central being an ultra safe Labour seat UKIP voters knew they were safe to vote with their hearts with no concern that by voting UKIP they were going to let in another candidate as on May 6th 2010 Eric Illsley beat the Lib Dems candidate by over 11 thousand votes! In short UKIP supporters in Barnsley Central knew for certain that they had everything to gain and crucially NOTHING to lose by voting UKIP

However this is by no means the case elsewhere in the country where the vote is more evenly split between the BIG three. In these constituencies UKIP supporters dare not vote UKIP for fear of letting in a Lib Dem or Labour candidate. In these constituencies UKIP votes are stolen by David Cameron.

This is why UKIP supporters should vote YES to AV on Thursday May 5th. With AV all UKIP supporters will be free to vote UKIP first,  (regardless of where they happen to live) without any fear of wasting their vote or letting a Lib Dem or Labour candidate in - this will ensure that their UKIP vote will be counted . This will maximise the UKIP vote which will help the party lobby parliament and help grow the party.

If AV wins in May - UKIP's share of the vote in will sky rocket in 2015!  


NO WONDER DAVID CAMERON IS NO to AV!Last election UKIP secured nearly a million votes - but how many more would have voted UKIP if they knew that a) they weren't wasting their vote and b) they weren't enabling a Lib Dem or Labour candidate to steal it or sneak in


And with UKIP's preferred voting system being AV+ you don't need me to tell you that AV is one small but highly significant step in the right direction for UKIP and it's supporters